AMRCN Aug 2012

ACN 132 670 261

VOL. 4 NO. 16 - August 2012

ABN 52 132 670 261

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Building for the future discovers road from the past A

DVANCES in engineering, discoveries of new construction materials and developments in automobile technology have revolutionised road building in recent decades, and there is no better example of this progress than a recent discovery near the NSW Mid North Coast town of Woolgoolga.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that a timber structure unearthed by workers rebuilding the Pacific Highway between Sapphire and Woolgoolga is thought to be remnants of an old road built early last century using a technique dating back to as early as 4,000BC.

techniques and materials. Indeed, unlike the slow bone shaking experience of a corduroy road, the new Pacific Highway will offer its users fast, smooth and safe driving conditions.”

Circulated to key personnel within all State Departments of Road and Infrastructure throughout Australia including their Regional Directors and Metropolitan Project Directors including their top personnel throughout their State. Key Civil Engineering personnel from all Australian Road Civil Engineering companies. Key Road Personnel within every Australian Local Government Council each issue

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The old timber structure runs parallel to and within 10 metres of the existing Woolgoolga Creek Road.

Publisher:

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said to determine its heritage value Ainsworth Heritage was contracted to carry out an archaeological survey of the discovery and make recommendations for its removal to a suitable permanent location.

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“About 100 metres long, the structure is a real piece of history. While its original purpose remains open to speculation, it is possible that it was put there to assist with the construction of the British-Australian Timber Company tramway which was completed in 1907,” said Mr Gay.

“Known as ‘corduroy roads’, they were largely improvised and temporary structures consisting of logs placed sideby-side with the aim of making it easier for vehicles such as horse drawn coaches to cross uneven, muddy or swampy terrain,” said Mr Albanese.

The final report from Ainsworth Heritage is now available at www.rms.nsw.gov.au.

“It is fitting that this example of ancient road construction was discovered by those working on what will be our most modern piece of road infrastructure, designed and built using the latest engineering

The upgrade and duplication of the Pacific Highway between Sapphire and Woolgoolga is being jointly funded by the Federal ($632 million) and the NSW ($73 million) governments.

Tom Cook

For All General Enquiries - (07) 5478 9432 Email: admin@amrcn.com.au

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Editorial Contributions

In this issue: • Abigroup Zero in on Holbrook

Bypass Page 3

Above and below: The timber structure thought to be the remnants of an old road built early last century using a technique dating back to as early as 4,000BC

Civil Engineering, Local Government Councils including all State Road Authorities are invited to submit editorial, photo input on any intermediate or major road infrastructure projects that they are involved with or are nearing completion, to appear in a future issue of the Australian Main Roads Construction News, free of charge to allow and inform our national readership of the many diverse road infrastructure projects currently being undertaken throughout Australia.

In the first instance, please contact the publisher, Tom Cook for further details on: (07) 5478 9432 or email: admin@amrcn.com.au Web: www.amrcn.com.au

Page 2 - Australian Main Roads Construction News

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• Spotlight Feature Stabilising Innovation proves its worth - Pages 4-5 • It doesn’t get any better than Airport Link Pages 6-9 • Grading just got Smoother Volvo Construction Equipment Pages 10-11 • Spotlight Feature Loader scales deliver huge cost savings for contractor Page 12 • Abigroup makes the Bruce Hwy Connection Pages 14-15 • Abigroup brings Peninsula Link a step closer Pages 16-17 • VDM rates teamwork the winner on Wanneroo Project Pages 18-19 • Federal Update on Road Infrastructure Projects Page 20

HOLBROOK BYPASS FEATURE

Abigroup zero in on Holbrook Bypass A

bigroup continues to play a major role in the design and construction of major road infrastructure throughout Australia with two key projects, Peninsula Link in Victoria and the Holbrook Bypass in New South Wales nearing completion.

is being built at the northern end on Wagga Wagga Road and includes both northbound and southbound entry and exit ramps. Likewise, at the southern end a second grade separated interchange is being constructed near the existing Hume Highway and includes entry and exit ramps to cater for both north and southbound motorists.

Abigroup is also constructing six bridges, including one interchange bridge at each end of the bypass, plus two twin-bridges over Culcairn Road and Ten Mile Creek to complete the bypass network.

In order to minimise the visual impact of the new infrastructure on the town of Holbrook, the project team will apply landscaping and special urban design techniques to create a ‘gateway’ effect for the town. The project team has applied strict environmental controls to minimise any impact on nearby waterways and natural areas in and around the construction site.

As the project moves nearer to completion many important construction elements have been completed. This includes all bulk earthworks with over one million cubic metres of earth moved along the alignment of the bypass and over 800 culvert units placed. To ensure that there is minimal interruption to the lifestyles of local fauna, the team has carefully placed 263 nesting boxes in vegetation to accommodate potentially disturbed fauna such as squirrel gliders, parrots, owls and bats.

Much of the main work on the Wagga Road

interchange has been completed, including pouring of the deck and placement of the girders. The placement of girders is almost finished on the twin-bridge over Culcairn Road following the completion of abutment piling.

Work on the new Ten Mile Creek bridge is well underway with construction of the bridge columns, abutment headstocks and piling completed.

Although concrete paving work continues, motorists are now using a new section of completed road on the northern end to enable the completion of tie-in works to the new bypass. On the southern end, traffic will be moved onto a new section of carriageway over the coming weeks so that the existing highway can be upgraded. Overall, work on the Holbrook Bypass is progressing rapidly and at the time of writing it’s difficult to provide an accurate assessment with various elements of the project being completed on a daily basis.

When the bypass is completed next year it will dramatically improve safety and

Roads and Maritime Services (formerly RTA) is committed to a complete upgrade of the important Hume Highway and the Holbrook Bypass is a key component and the last major project in that expansion programme. The $168 million contract to build the bypass was awarded to Abigroup in March 2011 and the company commenced work a few months later with completion expected in mid-2013.

Abigroup has a formidable record of involvement with the Hume Highway having completed major projects such as the Albury/ Wodonga Hume Freeway; Hume Highway Southern Alliance (Table Top to Woomargama); Hume Highway Woomargama Bypass and the Coolac Bypass.

The company’s Hume Highway history also includes earlier projects such as the Bookham Bypass Section 2; Bowning Creek to Two Mile Creek; Breadalbane, Cullarin Range Deviation to Yass Bypass; Jugiong Bypass; Mittagong Bypass; Mittagong Bypass Cut 6 Remediation; Mittagong Expressway; Tarcutta and the Yass Bypass Sections 2 and 3.

The scope of work for the Holbrook Bypass is extensive and includes construction of a four-lane divided carriageway approximately 9.5 kilometres in length which will bypass the town of Holbrook.

The route taken will start from the existing dual carriageway around four kilometres north of Holbrook and head south, before deviating west to cross Wagga Wagga Road. As it makes its way, the bypass will cross the former Town Common area and take a route west of the cemetery, sewerage works and the industrial area.

The bypass will then cross Culcairn Road and from there it will cross Ten Mile Creek prior to reconnecting with the existing dual carriageway about two kilometres south of Holbrook.

The new Culcairn road bridge construction. The bridge when completed A full-diamond, grade will carry the new highway alignment over the Main road linking separated interchange

Holbrook with Culcairn. Holbrook is in the background.

Bridging the inconic Hume Hwy V ICTORIA-BASED concrete casting specialist Westkon Precast has manufactured and delivered 74 bridge beams to the Holbrook Bypass Project on the Hume Highway in New South Wales.

Holbrook, named after the famous WWI submarine commander, is the only town which still has the iconic highway between Melbourne & Sydney running through it.

Westkon project manager Andrew Steer said that the company had been commissioned to produce 74 T-Roff beams required for the four bridges which were to be built as part of the project.

Mr Steer said that the pre-stressed concrete beams, which were each 30 metres long and 1500mm deep, weighed just under 60 tonnes each and were cast at the company’s facilities at Melton in Victoria.

In addition to their manufacture, Westkon was also required to arrange the interstate transport of the beams and their delivery to the site as required by the contractor, the Abigroup.

The casting of the beams was completed by mid-July and the first consignment of 14 had been delivered on schedule for the construction of the Wagga Road bridge.

The beams were delivered by a fleet of 14 heavy-duty trucks hired by Westkon for the two-day trip to and from the construction site.

The move comfortably smashed the record for the company’s previous largest, which required only 10 heavy vehicles to complete.

The remaining beams were expected to be delivered to

the site during August for the construction of the freeway bridge over 10 Mile Creek and the remaining two bridges over the highway.

Contractors on construction projects commonly work to very tight deadlines and require that materials and any pre-fabricated components have to be delivered strictly on schedule.

Mr Steer said that the Westkon management team had the experience and know-how in dealing with heavy transport contractors and the traffic authorities in the various states to ensure that all shipments were compliant with the law and arrived in good time.

Westkon Precast is a long-established specialist in manufacturing a diverse range of precast concrete products, with two large production facilities at Melton and Sunshine.

In addition to large bridge beams and planks, they also manufacture hollowcore floor panels, architectural and structural panels, traffic barriers, stadium plats and staircases and landings, and many others.

The company has contributed to a wide variety prestige projects including the Caroline Springs Community Centre, Deer Park Bypass and Westgate Freeway Upgrade. It is also able to supply a complete design and construct service and technical advice on the buildability of existing and prospective projects.

This is well demonstrated in another current project, a new grandstand for Simonds Stadium home of the Geelong Football Club. There they are designing, manufacturing, delivering and installing the entire structure. www.amrcn.com.au

efficiency for motorists who bypass Holbrook as well as improving the quality of life for both local motorists and residents in Holbrook. The new bypass will remove heavy freight vehicles from the existing Hume Highway that passed through Holbrook and in turn, improve the efficiency of freight transport between Sydney and Melbourne.

The new dual carriage ways will provide much safer overtaking, due to the separation of northbound and southbound traffic streams.

Of course the new bypass will also provide some relief for fuel costs and lessen travel times for motorists and heavy freight vehicles making the trip to Sydney or Melbourne.

Precast concrete specialists

Westkon Precast is a well established Australian precast concrete company, which has developed a reputation for providing highly innovative precast concrete structures and quality precast concrete products.

Westkon Precast’s range of products includes: U HOLLOWCORE floor planks U Prestressed bridge beams/planks U Architectural & structural precast panels & columns U Sound & traffic barriers U Bridge off-structure & on-structure barriers & parapets U Prestressed stadium seating plats U Precast stairs & landings U Prestressed precast products

(61 3) 9312 3688 E info@westkon.com.au W www.westkon.com.au

Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 3

Stabilising Innovation proves its worth Local authorities and construction companies throughout Australia are realising the huge benefits of using PolyCom Stabilising Aid in the building and maintenance of roads or any other earthworks.

Gunnedah Shire Aussie-designed and manufactured PolyCom Stabilising Aid has been on trial in Gunnedah Shire and, according to Project Officer Richard Baxter, it has passed the test with flying colours. The success of the trial has led to the decision to begin using the product on other roads in the area.

With the town of Gunnedah as its central hub, Gunnedah Shire in NSW covers an area of 4994km2 and is served by a network of 1451km of sealed and unsealed roads. Many of these roads carry relatively high volumes of mining, agricultural and tourist traffic and need to be maintained to an acceptable standard.

Road use by heavy vehicles, in particular, tends to degrade the road surfaces and the problem is made worse by the fact that the region is susceptible to flooding, which can cause even more damage. The shire relies mainly on its own resources to maintain its roads and currently has a number of road patching trucks on call as well as seven graders, two of which are involved in new road construction and five which are permanently employed in maintenance operations.

Mr Baxter said that roads in the area needed to be graded and/or re-sheeted a number of times a year and that this came at a significant cost to the shire. He said that there had been a lot of interest in PolyCom and the claims that it could significantly reduce the amount of grading and other maintenance required.

The decision was taken in 2011 to give the

product a trial and it was applied to a 500x9m stretch of unsealed road, to a depth of 100mm.

PolyCom was found to be very easy to apply and it only involved scarifying the road surface to a depth of 100mm, applying the product via a customised spreader and compacting the surface as usual whilst maintaining moisture just below optimum.

According to Mr Baxter, the shire was very pleased to find that, after a year had passed, the trial stretch of road had required no grading while the road on either side had to be re-sheeted and graded six times in the same interval.

The success of the PolyCom trial has led to plans to treat another 700-800m road with it in the near future and, later this year, to introduce it on the 3km Pullaming and 1.5-2km Clifton roads.

Mr Baxter said that he expected that the widespread use of PolyCom had the potential to save on Gunnedah Shire’s costs by cutting the amount of maintenance required and making it possible to use more in situ material and reduce the need to import gravel.

CH Regional Council Queensland’s Central Highlands Regional Council has also been involved in trialling PolyCom Stabilisation Aid on roads in its 59884km2 area of responsibility. It is responsible for about 4301km of road, including 1010km sealed and 3291 unsealed.

Many roads in the area are heavily used by a combination of the mining, agriculture and liquefied natural gas sectors, as well as by residents and tourists. The prosperity of the

region depends largely on its roads and which is why the council places great emphasis on maintaining the network.

Area Work and Technical Services Manager East, Jason Akers, said that rapidly increasing average daily traffic counts and the unprecedented rainfalls since December 2009 had meant that the council’s resources had been spread very thin and that there was an urgent need to avoid doing maintenance work on the same stretches of road over and over again.

He said that the council had trialled PolyCom on 100km of varying roads and road types in a variety of scenarios including formation re-sheeting to a depth of 150mm on both clay-based and processed materials with a high fines content, and heavy formation grading in sandy loams and black soil.

The trial was undertaken in the hope that it could save the council the cost of at least one maintenance grade a year which, at $1500 per lineal km, would be a considerable saving, given the size of the road network.

Mr Akers said that the product had been applied in both wet and dry forms and that the results had been good in a number of areas, especially where it had been applied to clay-based or select fill material. He said the durability of the running surface had improved

noticeably, to the extent that maintenance crews had been able to skip over a number of areas where PolyCom had been applied.

When asked whether he would continue to use the product, Mr Akers said that he would definitely continue to use it selectively on problem areas where there was no funding for a major upgrade or on more remote roads far from the council’s maintenance resources.

Product highlights PolyCom Stabilising Aid is a granular polymer-based product for stabilising any of the materials used in building and maintaining roads or other earthworks.

It has been used successfully with a wide variety of materials including shale, clay, and both fine and coarse gravel.

The product is granular and easy to apply either in dry form to the road base, where it can be blade-mixed, or it can be mixed with water and sprayed on. The surface is then compacted normally with no special procedures or equipment needed.

PolyCom is economical to use and a 2kg pack is sufficient to treat an area of 500m2 to a depth of 100mm. The product is therefore much easier to use and very cost effective compared to lime or cement.

The use of PolyCom can reduce the need for road maintenance by creating a tighter bound running surface and reducing the need for re-sheeting and grading, thus cutting labour and machinery costs.

Another often-overlooked benefit of using PolyCom is that it is environment and OH&S compliant. Reducing the environmental impact of road maintenance operation a recent survey found that the application of PolyCom reduced carbon emissions and water use by 90% when compared to re-sheeting.

Left: PolyCom at work in flood damaged road rebuild

Page 4 - Australian Main Roads Construction News

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Repair Construct Maintain Stabilise Sealed and unsealed roads Patching works Sub-grade remediation Road shoulders

1800 790 907 www.roadmaker.com.au PolyCom Stabilising Aid

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Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 5

It doesn’t get any bigger than

Airport Link It was Australia’s largest ever road infrastructure project and as the Thiess John Holland Joint Venture team celebrates its completion it’s worth reflecting on this remarkable construction achievement.

T

HE BRISBANE Airport Link was just one of three major projects conducted simultaneously by the Joint Venture team on behalf of Brisconnections. It included the design and construction of the Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) and the highly complex upgrade of the Airport Roundabout.

The scale of the overall project was extraordinary with 15 kilometres of tunnelling, 25 new bridges supported by 3760 bridge beams and deck units and 2 million metres of cable. Add to that; 6.7 kilometres of new roads, 1.5 kilometres of new busway, 13 kilometres of cycle and pathways and 3.5 hectares of new parkland.

In terms of logistics it was a mammoth exercise to say the least. At its peak 4,500 people were employed with 12,000 jobs created and over 29 million hours worked.

Furthermore, these were extremely challenging projects completed in high density traffic zones within a thriving city and its busy airport. Notwithstanding the needs of ongoing community and business interests that had to be managed throughout the construction process.

The person with overall responsibility for construction of the $4.8 billion Brisbane Airport Link is Thiess John Holland Project Manager Gordon Ralph. There’s no doubt that Gordon has experienced just about every challenge a construction team could face during the complex 3.5 year project.

“Working underground is always challenging and it required a great deal of innovation and ingenuity. We often had to think outside the square to resolve various issues and of course we had a construction schedule to keep. I am so proud of the team and I refer to everyone who worked on the project. It was a fantastic achievement and

Page 6 - Australian Main Roads Construction News

a remarkable piece of infrastructure that we can all be very proud of.” Said Mr Ralph.

THIESS JOHN HOLLAND TURNS TUNNELING INTO AN ARTFORM In essence, the Airport Link is a 6.7 kilometre toll road which mainly travels underground. It connects the Clem 7 Tunnel, the Inner City Bypass and the local road network at Bowen Hills to the northern arterials of Gympie Road and Stafford Road at Kedron, as well as Sandgate Road and the East West Arterial leading to the airport. It also features six new lanes between Bowen Hills and Kedron, and four new lanes between Kedron and Toombul.

Tunnelling was the main construction task in both the Airport Link and the Northern Busway and in total the project team made its way underground for 15 kilometres.

As tunnels go these were large and complex. The connecting ramps required caverns to be constructed with spans in excess of 26 metres. The geometry and alignment of the various tunnels saw a number of the ramps to cross over the mainline tunnels in some cases with less than 5m of rock between them requiring specially sequenced excavation regimes and localized roof or floor strengthening.

The 6.7 kilometre Airport Link required twin 5.1 kilometre tunnels connecting Brisbane city with the northern suburbs and airport precinct, with entry and exit portals at Bowen Hills, Kedron and Toombul. The 3 kilometre Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) features a 1.5 kilometre busway tunnel between Truro Street in Windsor and Sadlier Street in Kedron. www.amrcn.com.au

Above: Final TBM (Rocksy) breakthrough Below: Latest aerial of Bowen Hills and surround parks, including purple curtain wall

For tunnelling, Thiess John Holland employed 3 particular techniques and generally conducted tunnelling operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. One of the techniques employed by the project team was Roadheader tunnelling which was used to excavate around 8.7 kilometres on sections of both the Airport Link and the Northern Busway. The project team used 17 Roadheader machines, which was the largest number of such machines ever used in an infrastructure project in Australia.

These powerful, boom type machines each weigh 135 tonnes and are 18.2 metres in length. A rotating cutter head features up to 72 picks for hard rock and up to 57 when cutting through soft rock and it incorporates a high pressure pick flushing system to keep the cutting head cool and to minimise dust. The machine has a conveyor belt which transfers the excavated soil and rock to a waiting truck. One Roadheader costs between 2.5 - 5 million dollars and requires 7 workers during operation.

The second technique employed cutand-cover construction for around 2.3 kilometres. It was used in parts of Bowen Hills, Windsor-Lutwyche, Kedron and Toombul for both the Airport Link road and Northern Busway tunnels. This particular construction technique causes far less disruption than open excavation so it was ideal for accommodating high traffic density in those busy inner-city areas.

During the cut-and-cover process piling is used to support the excavated area and the soil is removed up to the tunnel roof level prior to construction of the tunnel roof. The soil underneath the concrete roof is then excavated before the tunnel walls and floor are built.

rate of travel during the excavation process was around 85 metres per week and over 1.1 million tonnes of spoil was removed by the TBM’s in creating the twin tunnels.

Transport of the spoil was unique and designed to minimise dust and disruption.

A two kilometre, custom-built, covered conveyor system operated 24 hours a day to transport the TBM spoil from Kalinga Park directly to the project’s spoil handling facility on Nudgee Road. The conveyor system was extremely efficient and transported up to 2,600 tonnes of spoil per hour. Of course, this dramatically reduced truck movements on local streets and was a significant achievement given the size and dimension of the Airport Link project.

When you talk about cutting edge technology there’s no doubt that the TBM’s are the real deal with the ability to not only cut through rock that is six to eight times harder than concrete, but also to install fullcircle concrete tunnel lining as they move forward during the excavation process.

Despite its size the TBM is also extremely safe when excavating in softer ground such as the section in the Toombul area.

However, such is the size of the TBM’s cutter-heads that logistically isn’t doesn’t warrant their removal. The two TBM’s were designed specifically for use on the Airport link project and the cutter-heads alone have a bigger diameter than the finished tunnel.

Obviously, removing them would have been a complex task requiring a further 3 months of surface construction. Instead, the project team responded with a solution that avoided their removal and reduced the amount of disruption for local residents in the Lutwyche area.

According to Project Manager, Gordon Ralph both TBM’s have been disassembled and the huge cutter heads will remain underground under water tight environmental conditions.

“Once we had excavated the caverns at Lutwyche we disassembled the TBM’s. The cutter-heads and shields were disconnected and we capped the hydraulic systems and gearboxes after they had been drained. We then lowered both TBM cutter heads into purpose built pits underneath the Airport Link on special cradles prior to encasing them in concrete. We also cut holes into sections of the shields to ensure the complete internal and external encasement of the machines in concrete.

This burial if you like, is normal practice throughout the world with regard to such purpose-built large machinery and the method we used prohibits contact between groundwater and the TBM cutterheads so it eliminates any potential contamination.”

THE BIG BOYS COME OUT TO PLAY Two of the largest Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM) to operate in Australia were used to excavate the 4 kilometres required to house the twin tunnels for the Airport Link. The two giant $45 million machines are identical and were manufactured by Herrenknecht in Germany specifically for use on the project.

Each machine is 195 metres in length and weighs 3,600 tonnes. The TBM incorporates a cutter-head diameter of 12.48 metres and 80 x 17 inch hardened steel cutters. It requires 22 workers to operate one TBM and during its deepest work on the tunnel it excavated 55 metres below the surface. The

SUPPORT FACILITIES AID LOGISTICS AND REDUCE HEAVY FREIGHT For greater efficiency and to minimise the need to import material, the Thiess John Holland project team established a world class pre-cast concrete facility in Bald Hills north of Brisbane.

The facility moved to full production in October 2009 producing approximately 300 cubic metres of concrete each day.

Around 21,000 pre-cast concrete products were manufactured for the Airport Link.

These included 436 box girders (box-shaped beams) for the Airport Roundabout Upgrade; 800 U-shaped girder beams for Airport Link, Northern Busway and Airport Roundabout bridges; concrete panels for noise barriers, Continued on page 8 www.amrcn.com.au

Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 7

Continued from page 7

retaining walls and various architectural features for the Airport Link tunnel.

The Reo Steel facility in Northgate was a huge advantage in the preparation of bundles of steel for a variety of construction needs related to piling and concreting. This included such major tasks of providing stresses for concrete used on the bridge structures on the Airport Link, Northern Busway and Airport Roundabout Upgrade.

However, dealing with the shipments of steal as they arrived at the Port of Brisbane called for precise and detailed planning to unload the steel for transport from the port to the steel facility. It required the use of special teams, working around the clock in six day shifts using a ship crane, two forklifts and a truck to unload and transport 36-tonne loads to a holding yard for sorting, before transportation to the Reo facility. Once there the steel pieces were cut to size and bent to the shape appropriate for each construction task.

Opposite page Top: Busway entrance at Lutwyche Bus Station Middle: Bowen Hills Sneak Peek event Bottom: Pedestrian entrance to Kedron Bus Station This page Top left: Kedron Bus Station Towers Top right: Latest aerial of Kedron Precinct Insert left: First Official drive through from Bowen Hills to Toombul Insert right: Living Green Wall – Toombul Right: Kedron Beam Lift – Stafford and Gympie Road Below: Latest Aerial of Toombul Precinct – Kalinga East

Page 8 - Australian Main Roads Construction News

THIESS JOHN HOLLAND CHANGE THE FACE OF BRISBANE Although in isolation the Airport Link is a major piece of infrastructure, when you look at the combined benefits of the three simultaneous projects their contribution is enormous. Together, they have dramatically changed the transport network in and around Brisbane. The Airport Link is the first major motorway linking Brisbane city to the northern suburbs and the airport precinct. In terms of transport efficiency it’s a dramatic improvement and apart from making travel to the airport much easier, it’s created the vital transport link between the Brisbane CBD, the northern metropolitan suburbs and the east coast tourist route. Importantly, driving across the city has never been easier.

The Airport Link also allows motorists to avoid up to 14 sets of traffic lights between Bowen Hills and Kedron, up to 16 sets of

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lights between Bowen Hills and Toombul, and up to 18 sets of lights between Bowen Hills and the start of Airport Drive.

Overall, the new Airport Link has provided many benefits with both congestion and the volume of peak hour traffic in the area greatly reduced.

For instance, traffic on Sandgate Road which is normally highly congested during peak hour periods should be reduced by around 24% with Rode Road which is west of Sandgate Road enjoying a 25% reduction.

The busy Lutwyche Road should see the volume of traffic in peak hour reduced by around 40%.

Peak hour traffic on South Pine Road at Everton Park is set to reduce by about 12% in the second half of 2012 with reduced congestion on Kingsford Smith Drive by up to 11% as well as defined road space for bus or transit lanes.

The quality of life for local residents as a result of the combined benefits of the three completed projects has been greatly improved, particularly in Brisbane’s northern metro suburbs where traffic congestion has eased.

Traffic, including heavy vehicles and the collateral noise created has been reduced on suburban streets. The suburbs of Kedron, Windsor and Toombul have all benefited through urban regeneration with revitalized local streets and public areas. This includes enhanced pedestrian and cycle links.

When you consider the logistics and the many challenges faced by the Thiess John Holland Joint Venture in the construction of three simultaneous landmark projects it is a remarkable achievement. All have been successfully completed and both the Joint Venture team and Brisconnections deserve congratulations on a job well done.

The face of Brisbane has changed forever and for the better.

Eureka Landscapes ... a Better Partner

...to turn your design into reality From the outset, we establish a partnership with our client to understand their design – not just the brief and the drawings, but their vision, their enthusiasm, their ethos, their creativity. This grasp of the overall project provides a sound basis for a well-planned and well-executed project.

Communication, collaboration and teamwork are vital to successful outcomes.

As a Eureka Landscapes director manages each of our major projects, the workflow is maximised, potential problems are identified early and solved with minimum interruption to the project.

Our highly trained employees bring extensive knowledge and experience in all areas of landscaping. Over the many years of working together, they are able to slot into teams as required: versatility that helps us complete each project as smoothly as possible.

Membership of Landscape QLD, QMBA, HIA and UDIA attests to our commitment to maintaining our accreditation, professional development, expertise and staying up to date.

Above: Western side of the northern busway (Bowen Hills station) showing feature planting and insitu concrete seating.

Below: View of one of the recreational picnic areas in “The Grotto” which includes a playground and BBQ’s.

...because of our range of services and abilities

...because that’s what our clients tell us

Whatever the challenge before us, we know we have the experience, versatility and expertise to turn your design into reality.

From estimating, planning and project management, through all the stages of construction and maintenance, the Eureka Landscape team’s skills, capabilities and experience lead to an outstanding outcome.

With more than thirty years’ experience across a wide range of projects, we’re proud of our record in specialist construction services (like golf course surrounds, wetlands and vertical landscapes), rehabilitation and revegetation, public infrastructure and residential developments.

A strong factor in our success is our people: some have been with us for many years.

Our training programs allow them to build their skills and to contribute to our reputation as an industry leader.

From start to finish of each project, Eureka Landscapes is there to help turn your design into reality.

Our clients comment upon our workmanship, our attention to detail and our collaborative approach. They tell us they value having one designated person on each site with whom they can consult.

Our status as a preferred contractor and ‘one-stop shop’ attests to our reputation, while the majority of our projects comes from long-term repeat work.

When you’re looking for a partner with a comprehensive range of services and abilities, who has a reliable fleet of machinery and equipment, who values safety and responsible management of the environment – phone us on 07 3350 8300 to find out how we can become your better partner to turn your design into reality.

Eureka Landscapes are proud to be a better partner on the Airport Link project.

www.amrcn.com.au

P: 07 3350 8300 F: 07 3256 3022 PO Box 178 Chermside South Q 4032

www.eurekalandscapes.com.au Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 9

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Volvo makes this promise to customers everywhere: to satisfy your highest expectations for equipment that’s productive, operator-friendly, reliable and easy to service. Now, Volvo brings you a full range of seven motor graders, all built to keep that same promise in every way.

Power and precision Dig into the job and your G900 Motor Grader digs in with you. Volvo engines are renowned for high torque at low RPMs, producing responsive, fuelefficient performance under all operating conditions.

Save time and costs with more one-pass finishes, thanks to advanced systems like the Volvo Proportional Demand Flow (PDF) hydraulics, designed to work with your choice of leading Automatic Blade Control systems.

Add in the powerful direct-drive circle turn system and innovative Volvo HTE transmissions with efficient shuttle shift and optional Autoshift feature (standard on the HTE1160) for optimum productivity right at your fingertips.

Volvo Contronics provides comprehensive electronic monitoring to achieve optimum machine performance, every day.

Making the best, better!

G900 Motor Graders express a longstanding recognition that productive machines begin with productive operators.

With its familiar industry standard controls and advanced powertrain options, the G900 cab works with the professional operator to get the best out of every working day.

Less work, more production G900 Motor Graders take a simple approach to maximizing uptime: minimize the machine’s need for service, then simplify every required service task.

Sensible service design starts with easy ground-level fueling, effortless daily fluid level checks and a modular powertrain design for easy service maintenance.

Page 10 - Australian Main Roads Construction News

www.amrcn.com.au

Expansive glass areas provide exceptional visibility in every direction, near and far. Long working days get easier with low-effort levers and pedals, ergonomic controls and a wide range of convenience amenities.

Quality with confidence Built on a foundation of field-proven components, including Volvo engines and transmissions, G900 Motor Graders are engineered with years of reliable service life built in.

Volvo’s first user lifetime frame warranty covers the entire frame, from the articulation pins and bearings to the fullperimeter rear frame, originally developed

by Volvo to bring toolcarrier strength and durability to motor graders.

In every detail, from the proven DuramideTM circle support bearings to Volvo APR planetary reduction axles, G900 Motor Graders reflect the Volvo commitment to lasting value.

A great place to spend the working day!

The G900 Care Cab expands on the Volvo tradition of productive, comfortable work environments for operators. Interior lighting and illumination of the steps and handholds ensure maximum ease and safety as you enter or exit.

Exceptional visibility including a unique package of interior and exterior mirrors provides a commanding view to the front, rear and sides. The adjustable pedestal, seat and low effort levers provide a wide range of comfortable operating positions.

VOLVO G900 Motor Graders

Ten vent openings surround the operator with fresh filtered air. Optional opening side and lower front windows permit passive ventilation.

Quiet Volvo engines contribute to low interior sound levels, just 72 dB(A), for optimum operating comfort.

The heart of grader performance The industry’s first 11-speed grader transmission, the optional HTE1160 with its standard Autoshift feature, sets the pace for maximum control in the low-speed range, responsive travel speeds in the high range, more precision in the working range and exceptional fuel efficiency for every task.

New D7E and D9B engines with Volvo Advanced Combustion Technology (V-ACT) are tailored for grader applications, designed to run cleanly and efficiently without the extra service requirements of additional equipment or aftertreatment of exhaust gases.

Volvo Construction Equipment is different. Our machines are designed, built and supported in a different way. That difference comes from an engineering heritage of over 175 years. A heritage of thinking first about the people who actually use the machines.

About how to help them be safer, more comfortable, more productive.

About the environment we all share. The result of that thinking is a growing range of machines and a global support network dedicated to helping you do more.

People around the world are proud to use Volvo. And we’re proud of what makes Volvo different – More care. Built in.

All purpose, All Wheel Drive Volvo All Wheel Drive gives you three drive systems in one: a highly efficient 4-wheel tandem drive, 6-wheel drive for ultimate traction and high-speed snowclearing, plus “Creep Mode,” the industry’s original hydrostatic, frontwheel- only drive system for exceptional fine-grading control.

Pioneered by Volvo in 1999, the exclusive Creep Mode drive introduced operators to the precise control achieved by grading with just the hydrostatic frontwheel drive engaged.

By allowing the rear tandems to roll freely behind, Creep Mode means minimal scuffing and rework. With its extremely smooth starts and stops, Creep Mode eliminates ridges often left by the moldboard of conventional tandem-drive graders. www.amrcn.com.au

Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 11

Loader scales deliver huge cost savings for contractor O

N-BOARD WEIGHING SYSTEMS for wheel loaders can dramatically improve efficiency while reducing costs, especially for projects that would otherwise require the installation of a mobile weighbridge, according to an earthmoving and civil construction company.

Road and earthworks contracting company, SEE Civil, estimates it has made significant savings thanks to the installation of Loadrite’s on-board weighing system on its fleet of Komatsu loaders. The Loadrite L-2180 is a unique system designed to provide accurate and consistent results direct from the loader. With on-board weighing, the system helps operators avoid costly overloading, without the need for a weighbridge.

SEE Civil’s Operations Manager, Ross Smith, said the company introduced the L-2180 two years ago to avoid having to install a mobile weighbridge at a leased quarry near a job site in northern New South Wales.

“We were contracted to supply and deliver all of the pavement materials for the $40 million Alstonville bypass project,” Ross explained. “The project called for a specific road base called chert which is believed to be a superior material as it holds together better than some alternative road bases.”

The company found a chert resource in a quarry at Wardell, 30kms away from the job site. It leased the quarry and set up a mobile crushing and screening plant. During the course of the 12-month project, 300,000 tonnes of material were loaded to enable completion of the bypass.

“Because we were only leasing the quarry, we wanted to avoid the costs associated with installing a mobile weighbridge.

After considering our options, we fitted Loadrite scales to our fleet of Komatsu WA500 and WA480 loaders which were used on site to fill the trucks with various materials.

“The use of Loadrite loader scales not only helped to reduce the set-up costs for the project, it also increased productivity

Page 12- Australian Main Roads Construction News

by ensuring each truck was carrying the optimum weight at any one time. Given that we were loading over 100 32-tonne trucks daily with up to nine various materials ranging from top and bottom course road base to drainage aggregates of varying sizes and drainage blanket materials, Loadrite played an integral role in the success of the project,” said Ross.

By installing software to transmit Loadrite data directly to MYOB, Ross was able to reduce the time spent on inputting the data for invoicing.

“Our invoices are calculated according to the type of material, weight and destination. Loadrite scales capture all of this data on site when each load is weighed. We were loading 100 trucks a day, which meant there was a lot of data that needed to be inputted on a daily basis,” said Ross.

“I had heard about other job sites installing software to enable this data to be transferred remotely so I spoke to Alan Clarke from Loadrite and we set about making it happen.”

The process works via a wireless internet connection.

Information captured via the Loadrite scale including the type of material, weight and destination is exported at the end of each day into an offsite database program. This database integrates with MYOB to generate invoices as required.

“It’s an instantaneous process and has essentially saved us further by reducing the associated staff costs,” said Ross.

SEE Civil was so impressed by the capabilities of Loadrite that their systems are now used on all major job sites.

“We’ve got six major projects underway across New South Wales and Queensland at the moment and Loadrite systems are either being used, or soon will be, across all sites,” said Ross.

“It’s easy for loader operators to use and due to the fact that the software adjusts automatically throughout the day to cope with temperature changes that can affect weighing performance, we’re confident of ensuring accurate weights every time.”

For further information on the benefits of Loadrite scales, including loader, excavator and conveyor scales, go to www.loadritescales.com.

www.amrcn.com.au

Above: Since installing Loadrite’s on-board weighing system on its fleet of Komatsu loaders, road and earthworks contracting company, SEE Civil, has made significant cost savings.

ABOUT ACTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES / LOADRITE Since 1979, Actronic Technologies has been designing, developing and manufacturing applied technology solutions to improve productivity in the aggregates, mining, waste management, forestry, and other industries.

Actronic Technologies is a leader in the field of measurement.

Loadrite® load weighing technology and payload information systems are installed on wheel loaders, excavators, garbage trucks and other heavy loading equipment to ensure optimal loads, and provide quality data for productivity analysis.

Established in New Zealand, Actronic Technologies now has factory certified distributors supporting products in over 40 countries around the world. Actronic Technologies have support offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

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Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 13

BRUCE HIGHWAY UPGRADE – Cooroy to Curra

Abigroup makes the Bruce Hwy connection T

HE BRUCE HIGHWAY Upgrade between Cooroy and Curra continues to progress well, and will provide a safer, smoother and more efficient driving experience for motorists travelling across Queensland.

The 61km upgrade project is being built in several stages, with Section B (Sankeys Road to Traveston Road) the first to be constructed.

Work started in October 2009 and is being carried out under four major construction contracts. The fourth and final major construction contract began with an innovative tender process in October 2010, conducted by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).

This unusual but highly competitive Early Tender Involvement (ETI) process involved teams from three shortlisted companies including Abigroup. Each team worked with TMR and project designer Aurecon to clearly define environmental obligations, while optimising the design to best suit construction staging for contract four. Achieving value for money was a key focus during the tender process.

Abigroup won the ETI contract and started work on the final contract in June 2011.

Contract four of the upgrade involves building critical connections at both the northern and southern ends of the section upgrade, along with two new bridges at the southern end, tying the new works into the existing highway at Federal.

At the northern end Abigroup will build an interchange at Traveston to link with the local roads and the existing highway.

This will include realignment of a section of Traveston Road as well as building a new local road connection from the new interchange to Gympie-Brooloo Road (known locally as Mary Valley Road).

Logistically, it’s a complex construction package, involving Abigroup’s project teams working simultaneously at both ends of the 12km route. It includes road realignment and construction of five new road bridges located at both northern and southern sites and along the new local road connections.

Of course, the broader scope of the construction package includes a multitude of tasks and objectives, some of which have now been completed as the project is well underway with an anticipated completion date late this year, weather permitting.

Initially the work site was established, along with associated works such as site offices and compounds, plus the installation of environmental controls which included no go zones and erosion and sediment

Abigroup site - looking north east with Skyring Creek realignment and bridge works run-off controls. Extensive earthworks were undertaken which required drilling and blasting and the usual clearing. Drainage works are also extensive with construction and installation of new drain systems and stormwater treatment structures.

As part of the project, Abigroup: • conducted a drill & blast of around 40,000m3 • undertook earthworks including cut to fill of around 700,000m3 • laid 2,100m of drainage pipes will be laid along • used 110,000 tonnes of pavement and more than 105,000 tonnes of asphalt.

Apart from extensive pavement works, the project also involves landscaping and street lighting works, as well as the installation of permanent intelligent transport systems (ITS) and variable message signs (VMS). These will greatly assist motorists by communicating

Carroll Civil & Construction Wet hire plant and labour hire for any Civil/Road construction works.

Phone: Fax:

07 3314 1906 07 3869 1906

Address:

Nathan Street (PO Box 1072) Brighton QLD 4017

Email:

nathan.roon@carrolls.info chriso@carrolls.info

One Aim – One Team – One Result

Page 14 - Australian Main Roads Construction News

crashes and delays so they can plan their journeys before heading out. Vehicle detection systems will also monitor traffic levels on an ongoing basis. These measures will enhance safety for all concerned when travelling on the new highway.

EXTENSIVE BRIDGE WORK IS A MAJOR COMPONENT Road bridges will form a large component of the full highway upgrade, with Abigroup building five bridges as part of their contracts.

Twin bridges will be built over Skyring Creek at the southern connection, along with an overpass at the Traveston interchange. The two remaining bridges will be built over Mary River and Coles Creek, about 1.5km west and 1.2km west of the Bruce Highway respectively.

All the bridge and overpass structures will incorporate precast decks, with the Mary River bridge also featuring three spans, employing super T girders to allow a longer span across the river. This in turn will minimise any environmental impact the bridge structure could have on the waterway.

The Traveston interchange bridge is the only bridge within contact four that will actually cross the existing highway and so will include additional architectural features. The design approach will particularly enhance support columns to provide an aesthetically-pleasing view from the highway itself. Safety features will also be incorporated such as ‘anti-throw’ screening to prevent objects being thrown from the bridge onto the highway below.

The interchange will greatly improve road user safety, and will include new local road connections to replace the existing intersections, which are located at ground level on the existing highway. Construction of the grade-separated interchange will also feature three new roundabouts, associated drainage, road ‘furniture’ such as light poles and guide posts,and public utilities..

On the eastern side of the interchange Abigroup will construct a new road connection to Traveston Road, ending at Thomason Road, featuring the associated road furniture, drainage and ancillary works. In order to make

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the connection, there will be a realignment of Traveston Road between the new Traveston interchange and Thomason Road.

On the western side, the project team will build a new 2.6km Mary Valley Link Road, connecting the interchange to Gympie-Brooloo Road (Mary Valley Road). This connection will incorporate bridge crossings at Coles Creek and Mary River, as well as upgrades to intersections on Gympie-Brooloo Road and Dobson Road.

This particular element will greatly enhance road safety in the area,by removing right-turn facilities from Traveston Crossing Road.

The new Mary Valley Link Road will improve access to and from the Mary Valley, particularly during flood events. The connection will also provide further support for local businesses and industries by providing easier highway access for heavy vehicles.

The Coles Creek and Mary River bridges will be built over active waterways and the process will include a number of stringent environmental controls. For instance, the schedule for the construction of the piers for the Mary River Bridge will be timed to ensure there is no interference that might inhibit the annual breeding seasons of turtles, the Giant Barred Frog, or the Mary River Cod. The twin bridges at the southern end of Section B, over Skyring Creek at Federal, represent major improvements in safety for motorists. Positioned 20 metres above the new Skyring Creek diversion, they will allow the separate passage of both northbound and southbound traffic.

The project team will construct 8,500 square metres of bridge deck area and install 113 piles totalling a length of 1650 metres, as well as 506 precast deck units. Concrete and reinforcement work includes around 5000 cubic metres and 1000 tonnes respectively.

WATERWAYS AND THE ENVIRONMENT The Abigroup project site covers four watercourses, including Mary River, Coles Creek, Traveston Creek and Skyring Creek and each has its own inherent environmental issues. Added to that is the amount and

BRUCE HIGHWAY UPGRADE – Cooroy to Curra intensity of rainfall on the Sunshine Coast, so the Abigroup project team has paid particular attention to the impact of construction to ensure there is minimal environmental impact on waterways, flora and fauna. There are stringent environmental guidelines in place and the team’s focus is clearly on managing impacts in relation to erosion, stormwater run-off, sediment control and drainage.

The new Mary River Bridge and link road to Gympie-Brooloo Road (Mary Valley Road) are both located in a known flood zone. It’s in an area which has recently witnessed nature at its most damaging, however the new link road has been designed in such a way the road will act as a floodway to reduce upstream impacts during large floods.

While monitoring the platypus breeding cycle in the Mary River, the project team has also ensured construction does not interrupt the lives of the Mary River turtles and Queensland lung fish. There are strict environmental exclusion periods for working in and around Mary River due to the breeding cycles and Abigroup will be following strict protocols to ensure impacts are minimised on these threatened species.

OPEN GRADE ASPHALT PROVIDES A SAFER JOURNEY In order to re-connect the new the Bruce Highway at both northern and southern ends of the 12 kilometre route, Abigroup will construct a one kilometre stretch of dual carriageway in the north and approximately 600 metres of the divided four lane highway at the southern end.

TMR has also decided a surface layer of ‘open grade’ asphalt will be applied to these new sections, which is a relatively new surfacing technique providing several environmental and safety benefits.

Australia’s climatic extremes and sudden, heavy rain downfalls can quickly become a problem for motorists, causing surface patches of standing water on the road. This gives rise to

the incidents of aquaplaning, particularly when a car’s adhesion to the road is reliant on worn tyres.

Of course, when there is such an incident it presents not just a problem for the motorist concerned but for any other motorist in the vicinity. When a vehicle is aquaplaning, its direction of travel is usually uncontrollable and the collateral damage to other vehicles and passengers can be extreme.

The advantage of open grade asphalt, which is a more porous material, is that it allows rain water to pass through and beyond the asphalt layer below so there is no build-up of standing water on the surface of the highway. It also reduces the amount of spray left in a car’s wake, improving vision for following motorists. This type of asphalt layer also makes the road far more skid-resistant at higher speeds under normal conditions and reduces ‘highway noise’ for local residents.

Some research also indicates the sound reduction benefits of open grade asphalt are superior to those created when noise barriers are used, particularly when respective installation costs are compared.

Use of open grade asphalt in America and Europe has become quite extensive and observations at this point in time indicate by using this surface layer, durability is greatly enhanced and therefore lowers the longer term maintenance costs associated with any major road.

TMR’s decision to use open grade asphalt in the design on the Bruce Highway is a major step in improving the safety of all motorists who use the highway. It’s a great initiative to use in an area where heavy rain is prevalent and the potential for aquaplaning could be a serious concern.

Contract four of Section B of the Bruce Highway upgrade between Sankeys and Traveston Roads will cost around $106 million and is being funded by the Federal and State governments.

Three Down, One To Go JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT

T

HE UPGRADE of the Bruce Highway between Sankeys and Traveston Roads is on track to be wrapped up before Christmas and under-budget following the completion of another of the project’s major construction contracts.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the latest package of works to be completed included erecting three new bridges and surfacing the new 12 kilometre section of highway using about 160,000 tonnes of asphalt and 6,000 tonnes of concrete.

“Three of the four major contracts have now been delivered,” said Mr Albanese.

“All that remains to do is finish building the new Traveston interchange and Mary Valley Link Road as well as the realignment of Traveston Road and the Skyring Creek bridge connection.

“Recommended by Infrastructure Australia and funded in our recessionbusting Economic Stimulus Plan, the project is being delivered as part of the massive capital works program which right now, both direct and indirect, is putting more than 3,500 people to work building a better, safer Bruce Highway.”

Begun in late 2009, the realignment and fully duplication of the Bruce Highway between Sankeys and Traveston Roads – also known as Cooroy to Curra, Section B – is being jointly funded by the Federal ($388 million) and Queensland ($125 million) governments.

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the progress that’s been made over the past two and a half years is a tribute to the expertise and hard work of the thousands of workers who have been on-site delivering this long-overdue upgrade.

“Indeed, the fact this massive project has remained on schedule and will come in significantly under-budget is even more remarkable when you remember that since the start of construction the region has received more than 4.5 metres rainfall and experienced three major floods,” said Mr Emerson.

“Once fully completed, the new section of four-lane, divided highway will deliver safer driving conditions, with wide shoulders, emergency stopping bays and Intelligent Transport Systems such as speed-activated Variable Message Signs.”

R O A D S · B U I L D I N G · B R I D G E S · R A I L · T U N N E L S · WAT E R · M I N I N G S E R V I C E S · E N E R G Y · M A R I N E W O R K S

Strong. Innovative. Diverse.

It’s Abigroup.

Supporting our rise as one of Australia’s leading contractors is one core principle: We are a hands-on contractor. We always have been. The benefit of this for our clients is that Abigroup retains control over quality, delivery, cost and timing of our projects, ensuring clients are provided the high quality end result they expect—on time, every time.

A driving force in Australian construction and infrastructure delivery for 50 years Northern Region Head Office p 07 3020 8200 f 07 3020 8350 Abigroup House Stanley Street Plaza South Bank QLD 4101

www.abigroup.com.au

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Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 15

Peninsula Link Feature

Abigroup brings Peninsula Link a step closer Saving travel time on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is just around the corner with the 27 kilometre Peninsula Link rapidly moving towards completion early in 2013.

I

T WAS BACK in February 2010 when an Abigroup bulldozer turned the first sod in a symbolic ceremony to mark the commencement of work on this dramatic and major piece of infrastructure. Many construction milestones have been achieved since then and ultimately this superb, dual carriageway will provide safe and efficient motoring between East Link at Carrum Downs and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Mount Martha.

For the motorist it’s a 27 kilometre trip that will take just 17 minutes which represents a saving of around 40 minutes in peak periods.

The new link will also ease the burden of traffic on surrounding roads such as the Frankston Freeway and Moorooduc Highway.

Better still; the toll-free $759 million Peninsula Link will enable motorists to travel from Melbourne’s CBD to Rosebud without the interruption of one single traffic light.

The Peninsula Link is the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) project in Australia to use the Availability model under a Victorian Government initiative designed to attract and involve private companies in the development

of much needed infrastructure. The Southern Way consortium was established to manage the finance, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the new freeway and secured Abigroup as its design and construction contractor.

It’s been an exciting project from Abigroup’s perspective because it has provided the company with a unique opportunity to do what it does best. The Peninsula Link is a major, landmark project with tremendous scope for innovation in both urban design and architectural construction techniques and on completion the new freeway will form an appropriate and welcoming gateway to the Mornington Peninsula.

The project has also highlighted Abigroup’s investment in its workforce and the benefits achieved particularly for young employees.

Earlier in the Peninsula Link journey, Abigroup Managing Director, David Jurd, remarked on the project and in particular the broader opportunities to be gained both from the community’s perspective and the impetus it provides to improve skills.

Page 16 - Australian Main Roads Construction News

“A project of this size stimulates the economy, and, when completed, provides benefits to the community for years to come. Abigroup has built the skills of our new employees, with young people in particular benefiting from job-specific training with over 280 accredited competencies gained on the project so far.”

Since the early days in both design and construction Abigroup has continued to seek better solutions in both work practice and in the application of new technology in relation to components to be used in the project.

Abigroup has introduced so many ‘firsts’ in both incorporated features and artistic design innovations. For instance, in a first for Victoria, Abigroup has featured a new type of noise wall made from polyethylene which is a heavy duty plastic that allows artistic displays or patterns to be featured on both sides of the walls.

Developed locally in Carrum Downs, the manufacturing process produces a much lower carbon footprint than occurs in the production of other noise wall materials such as concrete.

The material is non-porous and far more resistant to graffiti and in the longer term, much easier to maintain.

The new type of noise wall will be installed along the freeway in areas such as Frankston, Carrum Downs, Seaford and Baxter. Apart from their noise reduction qualities the featured displays will be far easier on the eye for

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motorists and local residents who live beyond the walls.

From the outset, the overall aim in the design of Peninsula Link has been to create a new standard in road development that, apart from securing good environmental outcomes, the freeway also makes a visual statement about the region it occupies.

Architecturally, the design of the new freeway is a compliment to the journey taken as the motorist travels from north to south. It reflects both the inherent urban and natural landscape as it moves through the Baxter intersection into the rolling, green landscape of the Moorooduc Plains.

Careful consideration has been given to the choice of materials used as the freeway travels through five distinct urban and rural areas from East Link to Mount Martha. There is no doubt that Abigroup has gone to great lengths so that appropriate scale, form, texture and regional culture has been incorporated to ensure the gateway vision has been realised.

Each piece of landscape surrounding the new bridges, roundabouts, intersections and cycle paths has been treated with utmost respect with over 1.5 million plants, shrubs and trees to be planted along the freeway corridor.

Apart from meeting the needs of the environment, safety and efficiency, the many challenges met by Abigroup, as the project team move closer to completion, is an impressive feat

Peninsula Link Feature

All photographs courtesy of Abigroup.

VGT - environmental compliance for the construction industry

V

in itself. Peninsula Link features a 27 kilometre, four lane, dual carriageway, 28 bridges, a 25 kilometre cycle path and 18,000 square metres of retaining walls. Then there are around a dozen interchanges, with complex entry and exit ramps, major roundabouts, improved local access roads and all totally landscaped.

Abigroup and the Southern Way consortium can be proud of their achievements and when Peninsula Link opens in early 2013, there’s no doubt that this project has taken road development to new heights and for the motorist making the trip it sounds like it will be an absolute pleasure.

To find out more about this remarkable road visit; www.peninsulalink.com.au

Previous page: The EastLink, Peninsula Link, Frankston Freeway Interchange in Carrum Downs.

Above: Construction of off structure barriers and the retaining wall through The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve.

Below (from top): Asphalting of the freeway carriageway is underway in Frankston.

Pavement preparations are well advanced in the southern half of the project.

The Old Moorooduc Rd bridge in Moorooduc is an example of the green architectural features prominent in this area.

GT is an independent consultancy firm who provide clients with scientifically accurate and innovative compliance solutions in environmental, chemical and geological sciences.

Centrally located at the top of the F3 in NSW, VGT was established in 1998, in response to increasingly complex and demanding environmental compliance laws in the construction, extractive and mining, production, and manufacturing industries.

Today, we offer clients a complete business solution to a number of environmental issues with our independent consultancy and NATA accredited laboratory testing and sampling service.

We are committed to providing industry with a personalised, professional, and total service that can be tailored to meet individual consulting and testing needs in the shortest possible timeframe.

NATA Accredited Sampling and Testing Our innovative mobile laboratory brings our professional staff and calibrated equipment to your door for a complete service, including the most important part of the testing - the sampling. Samples brought or couriered to our facility near Newcastle are treated with the same fast service, with most results available within hours rather than days. Urgent testing can be undertaken in as little as 60 minutes for a typical sediment basin suite such as pH, Turbidity and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Other regular water testing includes concrete mixing water, drinking water, discharge compliance testing and contamination identification.

We also take care of your air monitoring requirements. Ambient dust sampled and measured using Dust Deposition Gauges

(Insoluble Solids in mg/m2.month) or High Volume Air Samplers (either Total Suspended Particulates ie TSP, or PM10 in μg/m3) is also part of our accreditation.

Regular soil testing includes the field tests for acid sulphate soils (ASS), suitability of soils for rehabilitation, and VENM and ENM (excavated natural materials) suites.

Training in Environmental Monitoring Expert staff with over 25 years of practical experience can provide training for your environmental and engineering staff in sampling of water and dust deposition gauges. After completion of the training course, which can be conducted either on-site or in our offices, clients can then undertake their own sampling and still have full NATA endorsement of both sampling and testing.

The courses can be tailored to your site, and can also include preliminary calibration and use of basic meters such as pH and Turbidity, and an insight into the meaning of the accumulated results.

Consulting By offering clients a complete business solution we can provide guidance and assistance on a number of environmental issues, including support in the navigation of complicated processes such as: • Resource sourcing, assessment and evaluation • Sediment and Erosion Management Plans • Environmental reporting and compliance • Impact assessments and annual reviews • Liaison with Federal, State, and Local Government bodies • Water treatment solutions • Results interpretation • Waste classifications and exemptions

Clients and Projects Abigroup Contractors

Peninsula Link: water and dust testing, result interpretation, training and development, calibration and servicing of meters, assistance with correct operation of on-site testing equipment.

Hunter Expressway: water, air and soil testing, sampling and training, compliance requirements, ENM/VENM certification, flocculation tests, agricultural soil tests.

BMD Constructions

Oxley Highway: Training and assistance with monitoring set-up, dust and water testing, soil sampling and testing, landfill exemption characterisation.

Herons Creek: Dust and soil sampling and testing. Result interpretation, ENM/ VENM classification, acid sulphate soil identification and testing.

Reed Constructions

Central Coast Highway and Newcastle Inner City Bypass: Dust and water sampling and testing. Training, calibration of equipment and emergency testing.

Thiess

Hunter Expressway Alliance: Training, water and dust testing and result interpretation, flocculation tests, concrete leaching tests, chemical and monitoring advice and interpretation.

Baulderstone

Bulahdelah Upgrade: Training, water and dust testing, calibration and servicing of meters.

Fulton Hogan

Wentworth Falls: Dust testing, ENM/VENM and contamination classifications.

Leightons

Tarcutta: Dust testing, result interpretation, assistance with gauges location.

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Water, Air, Soil Monitoring Water results in 1 hour Contamination assessments Environmental Plans Sampling to approved methods Training in sampling and testing

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Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 17

OCEAN REEF ROAD – STAGE 2

VDM rates teamwork the winner on Wanneroo Project

Above: Work begins on the Ocean Reef Road project Below: The completed Ocean Reef Road

Earlier this year, Australian engineering and construction company, VDM completed the construction of Ocean Reef Road Stage Two on behalf of Wanneroo City Council in Western Australia.

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F COURSE, like most major projects it was not without its challenges but despite these impediments VDM completed the project in January 2012, seven weeks ahead of schedule. Highly experienced, VDM Project Manager, Scott Lopez regards the challenging project as one of the most enjoyable that he has ever had the privilege to undertake and he cites one particular reason.

“All projects present a range of unique challenges and there are always surprises along the way but although the Ocean Reef Road project had its fair share, the level of cooperation and rapport between our clients, the Wanneroo City Council, Cardno, the Council’s consulting engineers and my own project team was fantastic.

I have not experienced such a high level of teamwork before and we could not have asked for more. The success of the project and its early completion was largely due to the extensive collaboration and a collective spirit that existed between all the parties involved.

Working on this project was an absolute pleasure.”

In simple terms, Ocean Reef Road Stage Two involved the construction of a four-lane, dual carriageway and it was the second stage in the extension process to complete a 4.4 kilometre stretch of dual carriageway between Hartman Drive to Alexander Drive in Wanneroo. Stage One, which opened in March 2009, completed part of the extension from Hartman Drive to Prestige Parade leaving Stage Two to complete the remaining 2.5 kilometres between Prestige Parade and Hartman Drive.

The project is both essential and significant for the City of Wanneroo, a major centre located around 25 kilometres north of Perth.

Strategically, the city is integral to the greater road network between Perth and the northern areas of the state and with an estimated population of 156,000, Wanneroo forms part of the northern metropolitan boundary. The city occupies an area of 685 square kilometres and encompasses urban, industrial and rural areas as well as extensive bush and wetlands.

As WA’s fastest growing local government authority, its proactive City Council faces many infrastructure challenges. Not least is the

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need to service the increasing expansion of its population and in particular, the road network which caters for commuters, heavy freight, local traffic and tourists.

The extension of Ocean Reef Road will, at the very least, relieve the existing congestion in the area and was jointly funded by the City of Wanneroo, the Western Australian State Government and included a grant of $7.03 million under the Federal Government’s AusLink Strategic Regional Program.

VDM was awarded the contract to complete Ocean Reef Road Stage Two and its project team led by Scott Lopez commenced work in April 2011.

OCEAN REEF ROAD STAGE TWO – THE HARD YARDS The scope of the works was both extensive and complex and included construction of the dual carriageway, new roundabouts, intersections, realignment of existing roads and the relocation of around 90 percent of the utility services in the area.

Understandably, this aspect of the construction process required specific scheduling to minimise utility disruption and numerous meetings were held between the particular service providers and VDM’s project team.

The relocation of these services also had to be timed so that the efficiency of the construction schedule could be maintained and the successful process highlights the extensive

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cooperation and good will between all parties involved.

VDM’s project team constructed a new roundabout at Mirrabooka and Gnangara Roads which included a modification to the existing road south of the roundabout. The existing section of Gnangara Road from Mirrabooka Avenue to Alexander Drive was realigned and reconstructed with further realignment and reconstruction of Gnangara Road from Mirrabooka Avenue to Sydney Road. This section of Gnangara Road is now referred to as Ocean Reef Road.

These changes also included the construction and modification of the intersection at Priest Road and Gnangara Road as well as the intersection of Coverwood Promenade and Gnangara Road.

The existing Sydney Road was widened which included a 200 metre overlay which also included renovating the intersection at Becher Way. Beyond the major infrastructure components the VDM project team cleared 12.2 hectares and removed 75mm of topsoil over that area which was stockpiled for reuse. 30,000m² of redundant pavement and seals was also removed as well as 90,000m³ of excess material.

The team completed cut to fill earthworks of 160,000m³ and prepared 76,000m² of subgrade material for construction of the road pavement. In order to minimise the project’s carbon footprint, VDM recycled existing sub base materials used on the old Gnangara Road pavement. The team used around 11,000 tonnes

OCEAN REEF ROAD – STAGE 2 of Stabil-lime and 30,000 tonnes of limestone in the process. This consisted of two layers of a sub base course and a base course of asphalt and kerbing.

Revegetation and landscaping consisted of laying 93,400m² of mulch and 93,400m² of topsoil plus landscaping on the completion of the main infrastructure elements.

The VDM project team also constructed six new compensation basins including all of the associated pipe work for road drainage. One of the many other challenges faced was the prohibition placed on existing ground water so the project team had to incorporate special methods to import water for use on the site.

The installation of lighting was conducted by the team along the full length of the roadway with the power supply installed underground along Gnangara and Sydney Roads following the removal of the existing poles and lines.

As part of the relocation of utility services, water and Telstra phone infrastructure was realigned along Sydney Road and the gas supply was realigned on Gnangara Road from Sydney Road to the east side of the new roundabout at the intersection of Mirrabooka and Gnangara Roads.

One of the biggest challenges faced by the VDM project team was maintaining the flow of traffic through the construction area. The existing road system in the area is crucial as it caters for both industrial and residential traffic so VDM implemented various strategies to ensure that any disruption to the traffic flow was minimised while maintaining a tight construction schedule.

Apart from employing a team of traffic management specialists, some of these measures included construction of a 3 metre diversion ramp on Sydney Road and employing similar diversions and detours on the roads surrounding the project.

Logistically, building diversion ramps was a challenge with the relocation of fill material

stored on the western side of the site some 2 kilometres away. Of course the cut to fill material needed to be both imported and exported depending on where it was required and when it was no longer needed. Optimising available fill batters of varying sizes was also a consideration with some fill batters at the eastern end of the site at around 4-6 metres and cut batters at the western end of around 12-15 metres. Careful schedule planning was paramount in the movement and use of the various elements needed to construct the diversion ramps.

Earthworks at the intersection of Ocean Reef Road and Sydney Road

WANNEROO ROAD NETWORK GAINS GREATER EFFICENCY The completion of Ocean Reef Road Stage Two by VDM created a far more efficient route and made the area much safer for all road users.

The new alignment of what was Gnangara Road, now a dual carriageway, effectively allows separation between residential and commercial areas and should decrease the volume of traffic using Gnangara Road west of Mirrabooka.

This is particularly important because it will alleviate congestion at the intersection of Gnangara and Wanneroo Roads.

The new Ocean Reef Road will also reduce congestion for motorists travelling east to west in the northern suburbs and make significant improvements for road users in the commercial sector of Gnangara.

The pressure on the remainder of the old Gnangara Road which is in poor condition will be dramatically reduced allowing scope for future rehabilitation works to proceed when financially viable.

Businesses located along Gnangara Road now have a safer and less congested access and egress to their properties which will assist their clients and delivery of supplies.

Of course another advantage is that the new

dual carriageway provides direct access to the Mitchell Freeway.

VDM A FORMIDABLE CONSTRUCTION FORCE VDM with its headquarters in Perth has an extraordinary depth of in-house talent including around 100 design engineers and a 600 strong workforce as well as an extensive range of plant and equipment. At VDM’s disposal is a range of proven, design engineering and construction skills capable of executing a myriad of different civil infrastructure projects anywhere in Australia.

The company’s achievements are many and varied including road building and urban development projects; construction of mine accommodation, building sea walls,

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dams and marine earthworks. In the mining sector the company provides a variety of services including earthworks, concrete and non-process infrastructure.

According to VDM Group Executive General Manager, Tom Fallon, there are exciting times ahead for this influential company.

“Although the business has undergone a number of changes in recent times, we are clearly focused on applying our broad operational reach. The company is now more than self-sufficient, with an in-house skill base capable of delivering a one-stop shop response whether in civil infrastructure or the resource sector. It’s the kind of confidence we have in what we do best, a proven ability to deliver and one which will ensure our continued growth well into the future.”

Australian Main Roads Construction News - Page 19

Federal Updates on Road Infrastructure Projects from the Office of Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese Bowmans Intermodal Terminal open for business

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Above: Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese

M80: Traffic flowing freely across Moonee Ponds Creek Bridge

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REENSBOROUGH bound motorists are already enjoying a smoother, flatter ride on the Western Ring Road, with three additional Greensborough bound lanes on the sixlane Moonee Ponds Creek Bridge now open.

Representing Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese, Member for Wills Kelvin Thomson and Member for Calwell Maria Vamvakinou joined Victorian Minister for Roads Terry Mulder to celebrate the opening.

Mr Thomson said the new lanes on the Moonee Ponds Creek Bridge opened in the small hours of the morning yesterday and are already working to improve safety by realigning the Western Ring Road at this point.

“Before the realignment, the steep gradients at this section of the highway were a struggle for commercial vehicles which make up to 16 per cent of the 142,000 vehicles that travel this road every day,” Mr Thomson said.

“The new bridge is six metres higher than the outgoing bridge, and has created safer conditions by reducing the difference in speed between heavier and lighter vehicles, and reducing the need for sudden lane changes from light vehicles.”

Ms Vamvakinou said the opening was a significant milestone for the greater M80 project, which regular drivers of the ring road would see is progressing well.

“The Australian Government is working in

NOTHER important step has been taken towards improving South Australia’s freight infrastructure with the expansion of the Bowmans Intermodal between Port Wakefield and Balaklava, about 100 kilometres north of Adelaide, now completed.

Representing Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese at the opening ceremony Wakefield MP Nick Champion said the newly expanded facility is able to handle twice the volume of freight as before, an upgrade that will ensure it remains competitive.

“The Bowmans Intermodal is yet another example of Federal Labor investing in a national freight and logistics strategy that aims to build seamless connections between road and rail freight,” said Mr Champion.

“Overtime this will mean up to 17,000 fewer truck journeys a year to the Port of Adelaide, which translates into safer roads and fewer harmful carbon emissions.

“The expansion project will improve traffic flows and marshalling so as to make it faster and more efficient to transfer containers from trucks to rail.”

South Australian Transport Minister Patrick Conlon said the project involved the construction of a new 10,000m2 hardstand floor and the upgrade of the existing one so that heavy freight containers can be stored and stacked.

“The project also involved the installation of five two-stand outlets to keep refrigerated containers cold while on site, as well as the partnership with the Victorian Government on capacity and safety improvement works at a number of key locations on the M80 – adding new lanes, installing traffic management systems and reconfiguring interchanges,” she said.

Mr Mulder said the benefits of the M80 upgrade went beyond just improving road safety and congestion.

“This project will support approximately 14,400 direct and indirect jobs during construction, delivering an important economic boost to residents and workers in the region,” Mr Mulder said.

Member for Northern Metropolitan Craig Ondarchie said the people living in nearby residential areas would enjoy wider benefits of the upgrade.

“In addition to the fantastic transport outcomes this will provide, local residents will no doubt welcome the reduction in noise from trucks previously struggling with the steep grade on this section of the road.”

The Victorian Coalition Government has committed $300 million towards the project, with the Australian Government committing $900 million to the $2.25 billion M80 upgrade under the current Nation Building Program with the remainder sought in future budgets.

Above: L-R: Malcolm May (Managing Director, Balco); James Maitland (Mayor, Wakefield Regional Council); Nick Champion Federal Member for Wakefield provision of new lighting and pedestrian walkways,” said Mr Conlon.

“Over 30 jobs were created for the construction phase and a further 20 full time jobs will be needed on site, to manage the day to day operations.”

The project was jointly funded by the Federal Labor ($2 million) and South Australian

Superway works reach half way mark

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ORKS on the largest road project ever undertaken in South Australia have now reached the halfway mark with the $812 million South Road Superway transforming the skyline over the industrial heart of Adelaide.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and South Australian Transport Minister Patrick Conlon visited the site to witness two major construction milestones, the likes of which have never been seen before in the state.

Crews have begun constructing the Superway’s 83 metre span across Grand Junction Road, with each massive segment being lifted approximately 16 metres off the ground. At the same time a 140 metre launching truss – a self-propelling machine purpose built for the construction of long bridges – has been commissioned on site.

“You can’t help but be impressed by the sheer scale of the project, one that will make it much easier to get around Adelaide and along the City’s emerging north-south corridor,” said Mr Albanese.

“But having the courage to dream big and build the infrastructure necessary for unlocking our nation’s full potential is what Labor governments do and the new Superway is the State’s largest ever Federally-funded road project. All up, Federal

Above: Member for Wills Kelvin Thomson and Member for Calwell Maria Vamvakinou joined Victorian Minister for Roads Terry Mulder to celebrate the opening of three additional Greensborough bound lanes on the six-lane Moonee Ponds Creek Bridge Page 20 - Australian Main Roads Construction News

($268,000) governments as well as Balco Australia Pty Ltd ($1.8 million).

The Federal Labor Government is investing some $118 million in a series of intermodal terminals across the country to improve transport productivity for our regional industries and exporters.

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Labor has more than doubled annual infrastructure spending from $109 to $272 per South Australian.”

To date, 25 per cent of the 2.8 kilometre elevated road has been lifted into place and around 40 per cent of the piers that support the roadway have been installed.

Mr Conlon said the historic project was already delivering a range of social and economic benefits to the state.

“The Superway will support around 2,750 jobs along with a range of local businesses, while 75 per cent of project’s current workforce is South Australian,” he said.

“Not only will this project expand the capacity of South Road to satisfy predicted traffic use but it also delivers a suite of network improvements to a key industrial precinct for the city.”

Major construction began in April 2011, with the project still on track to be completed on time and on budget for a December 2013 opening.

The Superway will deliver a 4.8 kilometre nonstop corridor with a 2.8 kilometre elevated roadway between the Port River Expressway to Regency Road. It forms a key part of the State Government’s vision for a 78 kilometre north-south corridor stretching from Gawler to Old Noarlunga.